


I'm going, oh, i'm going

by samwhambam



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: F/F, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Ronnie saves the day!, Snow, a comedy of errors of sort, david can really handle a shovel, mentions of weed, patrick gets handsy when he gets high, quick trip to a cabin in the woods!, snuggles, theres flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:41:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21801115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samwhambam/pseuds/samwhambam
Summary: Patrick, David, Stevie and Twyla all escape to a cabin in the woods for the holidays, hoping to put real life on hold for a second and enjoy the time off. They all feel guilty once they realize what they're missing out on at home, so they decide to drive back to Schitt's Creek on Christmas Day, which, doesn't go according to plan.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose, Stevie Budd/Twyla Sands
Comments: 31
Kudos: 68
Collections: Schitt's Creek Open Fic Night 2.0





	I'm going, oh, i'm going

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MachineGunBallet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MachineGunBallet/gifts).



> Thank you to this-is-not-nothing and my friend aileen for reading this fic and helping me fix it and make it decent! this fic would have never gotten written if it wasn't for tinn, who helped me brainstorm the fuck out of this.

“Are you sure about this?” Patrick asked as he placed a neatly folded sweater next to the bag David was packing.

“Yep,” David said, the word clipped on his tongue. He moved quickly as he placed their clothes into an open suitcase. If Patrick asked one more time, he was going to lose his mind. He was sure. He wanted this. He needed this. Getting out of town was the only thing that would settle the angry and upset that was boiling in his stomach. 

“You can still change your mind,” Patrick said with a shrug. He sat down on the edge of the bed and David frowned at the suitcase as it dipped.

“Patrick,” David responded. It was a warning and Patrick stood up with it, his hands outstretched in surrender. 

“Okay, David,” Patrick murmured as he took the two steps to David’s side. He slid a hand around David’s back and pressed a kiss to his temple. “Whatever you want.”

Patrick took a step back and left David to finish their packing, alone, like David had asked. David asked and Patrick gave it to him, let him pack away their items how he needed, organized and together, each item in its place, where David needed it and he was so  _ grateful  _ for a fiance that allowed him to have these private moments, even though they lived in an apartment that was lacking in space and Patrick had to make himself as small as possible, just so David could take what he needed.

David rolled each item of clothing and huffed as he placed each one into the suitcase. His fingers paused on the prussian blue sweater that Patrick wore on their first Christmas together. The material was soft under his fingers and his body sagged as he sat on the bed. His rings glowed bright gold against the blue and he turned to look into the living room. 

“What time did you tell Stevie and Twyla we were going to pick them up?” David asked. Patrick turned to face him. He was curled up on the couch and god, now David wanted to go over and curl up into Patrick’s side, but he needed to finish packing. Cuddles could wait until later that night, once they were at the cabin and there was a glass of wine in his hand. 

“An hour from now,” Patrick replied. He leaned his head against the back of the couch and David felt his eyes follow him as he got back up to finish packing. “You almost done?”

“Yeah,” David said. He picked up the pajamas Patrick had laid out and began to fold them. 

“I’m still available to help,” Patrick called out, but David shook his head. 

“I’ve got it,” David said. The suitcase was almost finished and ready to join the tote bag of toiletries that sat by the front door. He pushed himself to pack light, it was only two nights and he didn’t have very many cabin-specific outfits. “I appreciate it though, honey.”

One more item of clothing, and David zipped up the suitcase. He tapped a finger against the top and he knew Patrick was still looking at him. 

“I mean, if you want to carry the suitcase and the tote bag down to the car, that’s fine with me,” David said with a smirk. He still didn’t look up but he could hear Patrick moving off the couch. 

“Since you asked so nicely,” Patrick said and then he was rounding the bed to David. 

It was a dance they knew so well, they had it ingrained in their feet, and as soon as Patrick was within arms reach, David turned and wrapped his arms around Patrick’s shoulders as Patrick slid into David’s space. Patrick’s hands were on David’s lower back and the dam holding back his emotions broke, as it always did when Patrick looked at him with those eyes and held him so tenderly. 

“I just want one night, where I can do what I actually want to do,” David said. He turned his head up and blinked hard, he wasn’t going to cry. Not today. Not when his friends would see him in less than an hour. “I want one night where I don’t have to take care of my mom. I don’t want to downplay my happiness for her sake. Not tonight, not tomorrow. Maybe the day after, but I need a break.”

Patrick slid his hands up and pulled David into a hug. His embrace was warm and strong, and David gripped his shoulders tightly, holding onto him for dear life. 

“They haven’t even planned anything for Christmas! I told them this a week ago!” David cried out in frustration. “It’s not fair that I told them that we were going to be gone for Christmas Eve and Christmas and that they forgot. My dad told me that they weren’t doing anything because mom didn’t want to celebrate.”

“I know, David,” Patrick said, his soft words cut through the fog that surrounded David’s head and he was so grateful for Patrick. Patrick always understood what David meant, even when David was less than eloquent and was floundering in his feelings.

“I sound like an asshole,” David muttered as he leaned back so he could see Patrick’s face. “For not wanting to be around them.”

“No you don’t,” Patrick pulled David back in and peppered a kiss onto the side of his neck. “You just need a vacation and it just so happens to land on a holiday.”

David hummed along because he did. He needed a few days away from the pressure of holding his family together. Alexis was in the Galapagos, trying and failing to kick start her career remotely. His mom was still spending most of her days in the closet even though it had been months since the movie got shelved, and his dad had become even more devoted to the motel as he chased the taste of success. David was left in charge of his mother, leaving Patrick to take on more than his half of the work for Rose Apothecary.

“We both do,” David said. He pulled away from Patrick and wrapped his hands around Patrick’s jaw. 

“You get to do nothing for the rest of today, all day tomorrow and then most of Boxing Day,” Patrick said as he swayed in place, his hands were back on David’s hips and David was melting under his touch. “I’ll be at your beck and call, refilling your glass whenever the wine is gone.”

“Oh my,” David gasped. He pulled Patrick into a deep, sloppy kiss that almost didn’t land with how Patrick was laughing against him. “I don’t deserve you.”

“We have 40 minutes before we need to pack up the refrigerated foods,” Patrick said. “You can show me your appreciation now before we’re sharing a house with Stevie and Twyla and have to be quiet.”

“Oh my god, get naked!” David screeched as he pushed Patrick back with two hands to his chest. 

~

“I hate that I’m bringing this up,” Patrick said as he turned the car into the parking space directly in front of the motel office. David looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Please be nice to Twyla during the trip. Whatever’s going on with her and Stevie is new. Don’t heckle them too much about it.”

“I am nice to her!” David huffed as he turned back to look at the motel. “They’re fine.”

“Genuinely nice. Not sarcastic nice,” Patrick said. He put the car in park and undid his seatbelt, leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to David’s temple. His lips moved against David’s skin as he spoke. “Show me how nice you can be and I’ll show you how nice I can be.”

As Patrick opened his door, David reached over and slammed a flat palm against the horn and held it as the horn echoed around the parking lot. 

“Oh, wait, fuck!” David cried out as he let go of the horn and right on cue, his father stepped out of his bedroom. He slinked down into his seat and screwed his eyes shut once his dad walked towards the car. There was a warm hand on his thigh and he tried to focus on Patrick sitting next to him and not the conversation that was about to occur. 

“You know, David,” His father said, voice muffled through the closed door. “Honking is awfully rude.”

“Can you turn the car on?” David asked and he heard Patrick sigh, but the car kicked on. He rolled down his window just a crack, just enough so he could talk and hopefully his dad could hear him loud and clear. 

“Where are you boys off to?” Johnny asked.

“I told you,” David huffed. “We’re going into the woods to celebrate Christmas with Stevie and Twyla.”

“Now, hold on a second, you’re leaving?” Johnny asked. David opened his eyes and guilt washed over him at the look on his father’s face. “I’m celebrating this year without my two children?”

“Yes. I told you this last week,” David said as he motioned back in time. “And also two days ago.”

“You’re not celebrating Christmas with us?” 

David was getting tired of answering questions he had already been asked. 

“You said you weren’t doing anything this year! That mom wasn’t in a festive state of mind! Not Christmas or Chanukah,” David took a deep breath. “I just need a break. We’ll be back on the 26th.”

He watched the office door finally open and Stevie and Twyla walked through the doorway, each holding a duffel bag. 

“Okay, well,” Johnny took a step back from the car, the guilt clawed against David’s ribs but he refused to acknowledge it. Not this time. This time, he was going to take a selfish and he was going to cash it in to go into the woods with his fiance and best friend and her--whatever Twyla was in relation to her. 

Patrick got out of the car and David watched him move to help Stevie and Twyla with their bags. He needed them to move faster, to throw the bags into the trunk and hop in, so Patrick could drive them far, far away from the motel and Schitt’s Creek and David could finally breathe again. 

He barely heard whatever Stevie said to him when she slid into the backseat and nodded when Twyla greeted him. He breathed a sigh of relief when Patrick put the car in reverse and felt himself relax when Schitt’s Creek was small in the rearview mirror. 

The drive was long and dark. The winter sun had set behind them, way too early in the day and Patrick had turned to smirk at him shortly after that when Stevie and Twyla had turned their bodies towards each other in the back seat, their voices low and hands intertwined between them. David smiled back at him, turned the radio up just a smidge, enough to give them a bit more privacy and enough to encourage Patrick to hum along.

He watched the frosted trees thicken as they moved further up the mountain. His ears popped as their elevation increased and even with the heater on, it was cold so he wrapped his arms around his waist and tried to focus on the warmth from his sweater and not the cold seeping through the knit. 

“Is it supposed to snow?” David asked. 

“No,” Patrick shook his head, but his head paused on a tilt. “It’s not supposed to snow until the 27th, but something tells me that it might start sooner.”

Patrick trailed off and Stevie laughed from the backseat.

“You got some snow-spidey-sense?” Stevie asked. Patrick shook his head with a laugh and David hoped that the last of his shitty mood left soon so he could appreciate the road trip. 

Stevie was still laughing in the back seat, muttering things about Patrick as a weatherman between shuddering breaths. Twyla giggled along, her smile wide. Even Patrick was shaking his head with a light laugh and David would kill to appreciate the moment. He reached over and hooked a finger into Patrick’s jean pocket, the angle was awkward and the space just a little too short for the length of his arm, but he let the warmth of Patrick’s pocket ground him as he focused on the gravel moving underneath the wheels. 

The cabin was smaller than David expected, but it was fine. It was going to be fine. He helped bring up some of the food up the stairs into the main living area, but quickly excused himself onto the balcony. He leaned on the railing and watched as Stevie pressed Twyla into the side of the car and kiss her, her hands wandered but she jumped back as he heard Patrick shuffling through the garage underneath him. 

He watched as Patrick smirked at them, Twyla blushed and quickly grabbed another handful of bags and Stevie kept her head down as she walked quickly. Patrick looked up at David and David felt himself crumble under the attention and then inflate when Patrick gave him his god-awful wink. 

“You gonna come down and help?” Patrick called up as he rounded the car. He disappeared behind the trunk and David  _ missed  _ him, even though he was  _ right there,  _ just barely out of reach. But then Patrick was back after he reached up and slammed the trunk closed. 

“I actually think I deserve a break,” David said with a raised eyebrow. “Because I did pack all the bags by myself, which really tired me out.”

Patrick stood where he was, smile wide and cheeks pink from the cold. 

“You’re right,” Patrick said. David wanted to press his fingertips against the apples of Patrick’s cheeks, just to see if they turned white under the pressure. They had to. They did when Patrick was flushed with sex. 

“It’s cold,” David said with finality, because he really could stand on this balcony and flirt with Patrick below him on the first floor all night. But going inside meant food and wine and maybe a board game. “Meet me inside?”

“Oh, David,” Patrick said as he shook his head. “You know that I’ll always come to you.”

Patrick began to move and David was struck with the vision of himself running through the thicket of trees off in the distance, lost in the woods with no way of getting out, just running in hopes of stumbling upon a path out. Lost and anxious. But then there was Patrick, sneaking a hand onto his arm and pulling David back through the woods.

_ “This way, baby,”  _ Patrick would say as he led David back towards reality. “ _ Let’s go home.”  _

“David? Can you grab these from me, please?” Patrick’s voice was muffled as he called through the cabin. 

“Coming!”

The cabin was finally warming up and David took the bags from Patrick’s hands and put them on the counter as Patrick took off his coat, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. Stevie had already popped the cork on one of the bottles of red and he accepted the glass held out to him. Patrick came up behind him, placed an arm over David’s shoulder and held up his glass. David tilted his head back and knocked it lightly against Patrick’s as he  _ clinked  _ their glasses together. 

“Merry Christmas,” He said and everyone followed suit, raising their glasses for a toast. 

The charcuterie board was followed by a light dinner, which was followed by an intense game of charades that left David and Stevie sitting on opposite ends of the couch, both brooding in silence and completely pissed at each other. Patrick opened a new bottle of wine and placed it on the coffee table between David and Stevie. 

David stared up at Patrick, offended that Patrick refused to pick a side. Which should’ve been his side, because his rules to the game were correct, Stevie was a fucking cheater. But instead, Patrick made his way back to the kitchen table, where he sat across from Twyla, who was shuffling her tarot cards, and an unlit joint sat on the edge of her smudge bowl, where a bundle of sage was still smoking. 

“Okay! This is such a good spread!” Twyla’s cheerful voice cut through the air. Patrick’s eyes were wide and trained on the cards in front of him. There was a soft smile playing at his lips and David felt his breath hitch at that look on Patrick’s face. “Very positive. Filled with love.”

Twyla shimmied her shoulders as she drew out the ‘ _ love’  _ and she needed to stop hanging out with Alexis so much, David decided. David tuned her out and instead focused his eyes on the smudge bowl. 

Stevie brought weed, good weed, which was meant to be an after dinner treat to accompany late night munchies, but now David was determined to not smoke it. His phone rang from where he abandoned it in their temporary bedroom, but he stayed on the sofa. 

He looked toward the bedroom, rolled his eyes and slumped into the couch in defeat. Stevie turned to raise an eyebrow at him and he felt his whole body relax as she leaned over and poured wine into each of their glasses. He accepted the glass she held out to him.

“So things are going well with Twyla?” David asked as he shifted closer to Stevie. She just smirked as they watched Twyla lay out cards. Patrick raised his eyebrows in alarm, but David was too heavy from all the wine to move in order to see what was happening. 

“They’re going very well,” Stevie trailed off. She wiggled her eyebrows and David huffed a laugh. “She does this thing with her tongue--”

She was cut off by David’s phone ringing again. It was loud, shrill and David huffed an exasperated breath when he looked up and Patrick was looking at him expectantly. He pushed himself off of the couch and made his way to the bedroom, taking his glass of wine with him. 

The phone stopped as soon as he was within reach, but he saw Alexis’ name on the screen before it dimmed. He picked it up and it began to ring as soon as it made contact with his hand. He jumped, then answered the video call. 

“David!” Alexis shrieked. The connection was clear and he grimaced at the wallpaper behind her. “Merry Christmas, David.”

“Merry Christmas, Alexis,” David responded. “Where are you?”

“Oh!” She flipped the camera around and showed him the room she was in. “Ted has a few days off for Christmas, so he booked us a cute vacation on one of the bigger islands. Look!”

Alexis moved, and then she was standing on a balcony, showing him what he thought may be an ocean view.

“I’m sure that’s a lovely view,” David paused. “During the day.”

“Don’t be a dick, David,” Alexis growled as she flipped the camera back to herself. 

“It’s very nice of Ted to take you out of the wilderness,” David commented. The last time they had talked, Alexis has seemed miserable. She told him about how the internet was slow and she couldn’t do any work remotely. 

“He actually booked the room for me for a full week so I can try to get some work done after he has to go back,” Alexis looked away from the camera. She sucked in her lips and David could see her gnawing on the inside. “I actually moved up my ticket. Can you pick me up from the airport in two weeks? I can send you the information later.”

“Yeah, of course,” David responded. Maybe he could convince Patrick to go with him. 

They were quiet for a second before Alexis shook her head and a teasing grin spread across her face. David stilled in fear, his eyebrows raised and ready. 

“So, I talked to Mom and Dad,” Alexis said and  _ there it was.  _ “Why are you mad at them?”

“I’m not!” David shrieked. He cleared his throat then continued, much softer. “I’m not mad at them. They’ve just been a lot lately. Everything’s been a lot. Mom’s been a lot, the wedding planning has been harder than I thought it would be. I’ve been at the store less, which means Patrick’s doing most of the work there and I feel bad. I don’t have time to do the things that I actually enjoy.”

David sighed and sat on the bed. He dropped his elbow to his propped up knee, taking the strain off his shoulder. 

“They seem pretty sad that you’re not there,” Alexis said.

“I already got a guilt trip from Dad, I don’t need one from you too,” David sighed. He dropped his phone onto the bed and pressed his hands into his own cheeks. He wanted to rub, to feel the strain on his eyes as he pressed his palms into his sockets, but  _ wrinkles.  _

“All I’m saying is, that if I weren’t here,” Alexis said and David could imagine Alexis drawing a finger around the room she was in. He picked back up his phone to see her wide eyes. “I would be home with you guys.”

David looked back out through the bedroom door where he could hear everyone talking and laughing.

“Oh! Ted says hi and Merry Christmas!” Alexis exclaimed. 

David returned the sentiment and then took the phone out to the living room so Alexis could talk to everyone. When he hung up, he walked back to the room to plug his phone in to charge. He sat back on the bed and let his body fall back onto the bed. 

“You okay?” Patrick said as he knocked on the doorframe. David groaned in response. He didn’t sit up, just laid there in his misery. He heard Patrick move and then felt his hands on David’s calves, massaging his muscles through his sweats. 

“I feel bad,” David said. Patrick’s hands were at his knees.

“I know, David,” Patrick’s voice was soft and comforting. It settled over him like a weighted blanket, settling some of the anxiety he had begun to feel. 

“Do you think we should go back early?” David was scared for the answer, but he had to ask. 

“We can do whatever you want,” Patrick murmured as his hands moved up David’s thighs. 

David propped himself up on his elbows. Patrick’s cheeks were rosy, eyes bright and his hands wandered up to the waistband of David’s sweats. 

“Close the door, Patrick,” David said. Patrick turned around and closed the door softly. “Now, come blow me. Quickly before Stevie comes and starts banging on the door.”

*

“You guys were in there for a while,” Stevie said once they exited their bedroom. David just stared at her before flipping her off with both hands. She was sitting on the couch, leaning back into Twyla’s shoulder. “We were going to eat dessert, but figured we’d wait for you. Thought you might’ve worked up an appetite.”

“Hm, thanks so much,” David pitched his voice high, and shook his head as he was about to step into the kitchen. As soon as one foot was on the tile, his phone dinged, multiple times, consecutively. In a row. 

“Why don’t you go and check that and we’ll start on dessert,” Patrick said. David rolled his eyes in response but still went. He picked up his phone and his eyes widened at all the texts from his dad. 

_ We decided to have a Christmas party after all. Patrick, Stevie, Twyla and you are all invited.  _

_ I found the directions from last year. You’re not the only one who can decorate and plan a party! _

_ *image of a Christmas tree with haphazardly arranged ornaments* _

_ Do you know where the star is for the top? _

_ Hope you can make it! Party starts tomorrow at 5 pm.  _

He stared at his phone before unlocking it and going directly to the message thread. He took it off the charger and took it back into the kitchen. 

“Look at this! Why is he doing this?!” David screeched. Patrick took the phone and sighed as he read the messages. “You don’t need to make a comment about the tree, I already know.”

David watched as Patrick handed the phone off to Stevie and then Twyla, who joined them in the kitchen. 

“They’re making me feel so guilty,” David muttered. 

“He is laying it on thick,” Stevie nodded.

Patrick shrugged. David knew he was trying to stay out of it and he appreciated Patrick staying neutral. David looked at all the stuff they had unpacked. 

“Oh, I hate to say this,” David groaned as he tilted his head back. 

“You wanna go back, don’t you?” Twyla said for him. He looked at her, grateful that she said it and not him. 

“Kinda,” David admitted. 

Patrick was quiet. 

“I’m fine with it,” Twyla continued. “But, it started snowing when you guys were in your room.”

“Yeah, it’s coming down,” Stevie said. David eyed her suspiciously. Her voice sounded too  _ genuine.  _ “Like, really coming down.”

They stood there quiet for a moment before Twyla turned and started moving stuff on the counter. 

“I’ll start dessert,” She said. Stevie followed her lead to help. 

“We’ll go home in the morning,” Patrick whispered as he wrapped an arm around David’s waist. David frowned at him but let himself get pulled in closer. Patrick nosed along David’s hairline and pressed soft kisses against his skin. “It’s too dangerous to go tonight.”

David hummed as he screwed his eyes shut. 

“Why did I think this was a good idea?” David whined. He let himself get completely engulfed in Patrick, in his warmth and reassurance. 

“It was a good idea,” Patrick said, David could feel Patrick’s jaw move as he talked. “It’s nice to get away, so let’s enjoy tonight. Then tomorrow, we’ll drive back and have dinner with your family.”

David felt himself nod at Patrick’s words. He held Patrick just a little bit tighter, and tighter, until Patrick gasped against him.

“You didn’t even hug me this hard after I proposed,” Patrick muttered. David laughed and turned his head to press a kiss against Patrick’s ear. 

“Who wants to play  _ A Ticket To Ride _ !” Stevie called out, breaking their moment. She lifted the box and shook it, the pieces rattled inside and  _ oh  _ David was already over her.

“Only if you don’t fucking cheat this time!” David called back as he let go of Patrick. He stepped out of the kitchen and opened the door from the living room to the balcony. It was cold, but manageable. “Grab the joint and a coat! Time to get high.”

*

A ticket to ride went exactly how David thought it was going to go. Twyla stared at the board, laughing intermittently, eyes glassy and only moving when Stevie prompted her to take her turn. Stevie sat with a dopey smile and swayed lightly in her seat, focusing on the board while simultaneously staring at Twyla. 

Patrick had slid his chair closer to David and slung an arm over the back of his chair. 

“You better not be cheating,” David whispered as Patrick cuddled up to his side. “Don’t look at my cards.”

“I promise. Scout’s honor,” Patrick said with a laugh as he held up three fingers. But then he lowered his hand and hooked his fingers into the pocket of David’s joggers. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Want to make it interesting?”

David did. They settled their terms in hushed whispers and Patrick didn’t stand a chance. The weed made David hyper focused while it left Patrick gooey and pawing at David for attention. He made a mental note to thank Stevie and Twyla with a bottle of wine each for not making a comment when Patrick was nipping at David’s throat halfway through the game. He had to bat Patrick’s hands away at one point and David beat Patrick by a landslide. 

Stevie had somehow dominated the game and edged David out of a victory. 

“You cheated, didn’t you?” David asked.

“Me? No,” Stevie shook her head, her movements slow. 

“Liar,” David murmured. He slid off his seat, his body weightless, which almost sent Patrick tumbling to the ground. “Can we watch a movie now?”

“Yes!” Twyla cried out. “Wait, can we watch  _ A Christmas Prince?  _ It’s so bad, but also so good.”

They did. They watched the movie, each couple on their own couch. David closed his eyes halfway through the movie, lulled to sleep by the soft voices in the movie and Patrick pressing kiss after kiss into the skin of David’s forearm, where Patrick pushed the sleeve up to David’s elbow. Patrick shook him awake at the end of the movie and led him to their bed. 

*

“David.”

A soft voice was in his ear, hands on his shoulder and  _ what the fuck,  _ why was he being shaken awake. 

“No.” David said. He turned away from the annoyance and pulled the blankets back over his head. 

“Merry Christmas, David,” Oh, the voice was Patrick. Which, didn’t make it okay, honestly.

“Too early,” David responded. He could hear Patrick laughing, which was rude. 

“You don’t know what time it is,” Patrick said. 

“Too early,” David repeated. 

The blankets moved and then Patrick was completely under them with him, spooned behind him. 

“The guy who owns this place texted me. They’re going to have a snow plow clear out the main roads in two hours,” Patrick murmured. He pressed a kiss to the back of David’s neck. David stretched out beneath him, encouraging him to keep going. “Which means there’s enough time for breakfast, showers, and packing the car.”

“That’s good,” David breathed as Patrick’s hand slid underneath his shirt and up his ribs. 

“There’s also time for some Christmas morning activities,” Patrick said. He shuffled down, the bed wiggling with his movements. 

“Like what?” David moaned as Patrick’s mouth replaced his hand. Patrick’s breath was warm on his skin and he shivered under the contact. 

“Oh,” Patrick’s voice was muffled and David strained to make out the words. “We could do a morning snowball fight. Or go looking for bears.”

“You’re insufferable!” David huffed. Patrick laughed against him as he pulled at David’s waistband. 

“Let me make it up to you,” Patrick said. 

“Fuck, yeah.”

*

“So, when you said that they were going to have the road plowed in two hours, you were lying to me,” David waved a hand in Patrick’s direction. Patrick sighed, hands on his hips and mouth drawn into a tight frown.

“That was before it started snowing again,” Patrick said. He sat down on the free couch while David stood on the other side of the room and stared at his fiance. 

“When are the roads going to be cleared out?” David asked. Patrick was usually good at these things, the type of life things that David didn’t really care to figure out. Like weather and interest rates. 

“I don’t--when it stops snowing?” Patrick threw his hands up in annoyance. 

“Why is it snowing? It wasn’t supposed to snow until after we left!” David was hysterical now and in the worst timing imaginable, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Patrick was avoiding his eye, so he hadn’t sent it. Stevie was sitting quietly on the other couch with Twyla, trying to avoid everything, so she didn’t send it. Which meant it was either Alexis or one of his parents. And if it was his parents, they were bound to be asking about his arrival time. 

“I don’t think the weather is really set on following a schedule,” Patrick snipped. David narrowed his eyes at him. Sarcasm was not welcome at the moment. 

David growled at him and sat down at the end of Stevie and Twyla’s couch. 

“You know what,” Stevie said as she stood up, pulling Twyla with her. “I think I left something in our room. Twyla, help me find it.”

“Yep, yes, absolutely,” Twyla said as she followed Stevie out of the living room. 

David knew Patrick didn’t deserve his anger, but he was pissed, disappointed, and feeling guiltier than he did last night, when he still had a glimmer of hope at getting back to Schitt’s Creek before the Christmas Party. 

“Party starts at five,” David muttered. 

“I know,” Patrick sighed as he leaned forward, head in his hands and elbows on his knees. “We’ll get there when we get there, but we can’t drive on roads that aren’t plowed and I’m not going to drive in bad weather.”

David nodded. He bit at the inside of his cheek when his phone vibrated again. 

“Do you think we’ll get there in time?” David asked with a raised eyebrow--until Patrick leveled him with a stern stare. “That was the last question.”

They sat in silence until the snow stopped.

*

“Okay, the road is plowed and the driveway has a shit ton of snow…” David trailed off. “Like, a lot of snow.”

They were all standing outside on the steps up to the main story of the cabin. 

“Like, a lot of snow,” David repeated. 

“I think we got the picture,” Patrick said. He turned and made his way back up the steps. “David, come help me look for shovels.”

“What?” David said as he turned to follow Patrick up the stairs. 

David stomped the snow off his shoes at the door and followed Patrick through the house and down into the garage. 

“I thought I saw something in here…” Patrick trailed off as he began to take a lap and move aside anything that looked like it could be blocking a shovel. “Help me, David.”

Before David could move, Patrick yelped and jumped back. He muttered something about a spider but kept looking. David started in the opposite direction, pausing when he saw them.

“Found them!” David called out. There were four of them. Which meant he absolutely had to help. Patrick moved around his car and pulled them out. 

“You take two,” Patrick said. With his now empty hand, he grabbed the container of salt on the top shelf and David followed him out, taking small steps. Maybe they would be done by the time he got outside. 

They weren’t. David sighed as he handed a shovel to Stevie and quietly started shoveling. He huffed when Stevie slapped her shovel against his, dropped her shovel and scooped up two handfuls of loose snow. 

“Don’t you dare throw that dirty snow at me,” Stevie warned. She stooped low and before she could grab her own, David chucked the snow at her. “Ew!”

She had a murderous look in her eye that made David take a step back, but his body kept moving beyond the single step. His heart stopped as he slid, his legs were coming out from under him and he was about to die. This was it. Dead on Christmas from ice on a driveway. But a strong hand yanked him back up and into a warm body.

“Easy, David,” Patrick murmured in his ear and David swooned. 

“You’re like my knight in shining armor,” David teased as he found his footing. He could hear Stevie chucking behind him. 

“My shovel is pretty shiny,” Patrick let go of David once David was stable. 

“That was bad,” David said. He grabbed the shovel he had abandoned during the fall. “Let’s get this done before I actually die.”

David braced himself, squared his jaw and shoveled while he thought of sweating cocktails and soft, warm breezes. 

“My uncle used to give me a crisp five everytime I helped him shovel,” Twyla said with a huff as she picked up a shovel full of snow. 

“Dollars, right?” David asked. He had to ask. He grimaced as he flexed his biceps and flipped a shovel full of snow to the side. 

“Of course,” Twyla scoffed. “Sometimes, if I shoveled really fast and had all the sidewalks cleared before any burial ceremonies started, he would give me a full $10.”

“I think you were underpaid,” Patrick supplied.

“Oh, I was,” Twyla nodded along. “But it did make me really strong. And he taught me how to throw a punch. Which came in handy when I punched Susie Feldermann after she called me a freak in 7th grade.”

“I remember that!” Stevie said. She paused her movements to gaze at Twyla. “That was a good moment. Even better than the time I cut a chunk of her hair off.”

David paused, his back to his friends. None of what was just said surprised him. He just kept his head down and shoveled as Stevie told Patrick the full story. David winced at the scrape of his shovel against the icy gravel. 

When his circle was wide, he noticed that the others were moving slower than him, still lost in their conversation. David felt a light smattering of pride and then continued, too competitive to let them catch up to him.

When they were done, David handed Patrick his shovel and preened under Patrick’s praise when he pressed a kiss to David’s cheek.

“I’m sweating,” Twyla said and David turned to look at her with a grimace. Patrick placed a hand on David’s shoulder and turned him back towards the garage door he had just opened. 

“Okay, let’s go.” 

Their drive only lasted for 30 minutes before it started snowing. David watched in horror as the snow began to fall. He craned his neck, looking through the windshield and up. 

“Patrick!” David turned to look at his fiance in time to watch him take a hand off the wheel and rub his face. 

“They’re trying to sleep,” Patrick shushed. He put his hand back on the wheel and David stared at Patrick’s white knuckles. “We’re going to keep driving for a while longer.”

David was caught between wanting to get home and not wanting to die. 

“Are you sure we don’t have to pull over?” David said. He laced his fingers together and worried at his knuckles. 

“We’re fine, David, there’s like, seven snowflakes in the air,” Patrick cracked his neck as he pressed on the brake, slowing down. 

“Pretty sure there’s more than seven,” David grumbled. Patrick didn’t say anything, just navigated them down the road. 

It was fine, David was fine. He was okay watching Patrick barrel down a snowy road with reckless abandon. 

“Should you be going slower?” David asked. He tried to hide the concern in his voice, but he couldn’t help the airy noise that left him. He shifted to see Patrick’s speedometer and let out an  _ ‘oh!’  _ “Okay, that’s pretty appropriate.”

Patrick huffed a laugh. He was going to back off and let Patrick take them home. Patrick was more than capable and David trusted him. He closed his eyes and willed himself to calm down. They had more than enough time to get home before the party, the road was safe and soon he would be back in the motel and he could rearrange the decorations his dad put up. 

“Oh!” Stevie called out, which made David jump awake. “Oh my god.”

“Stevie?” Twyla murmured with a sleepy voice. 

“I just had a dream that Mr. Rose found the bag of weed that I hid in the Christmas decorations box,” Stevie explained. 

“Ew!” David gasped. “Why would you hide it there?!”

“It’s your Christmas gift and I know you’ve been snooping around the motel lately,” Stevie muttered. 

“Well, at least he knows it yours. I just hope he doesn’t throw it away,” David settled back into his seat and closed his eyes again. 

“Well, I already put a bow and a tag on it that has your name on it,” Stevie did at least sound a little bit sorry. 

“What?!” David screeched. He sat up and turned to face her. “What! Why!”

“I’m doing this thing where I get things done early,” Stevie shrugged. 

“Ugh!” David groaned. He threw himself back into his seat and covered his eyes with his hands. 

David was sitting in agony when Twyla spoke up. 

“Wait, that box is at my apartment,” Twyla said as she turned back towards the window and leaned her temple against the glass. “You brought it over when we decorated the tree.”

“I don’t remember that,” Stevie murmured as David sighed a breath of relief. 

“You had already had a bottle of wine before you came over,” Twyla said in way of explanation. 

David closed his eyes in exasperation and focused on his breathing, letting the worries slide off of him as Patrick drove them closer to home. He woke up with a disgruntled snore to the feeling of the car moving off the road. 

“What’s happening?!” David screeched as he sat up. Before he noticed the exit they were taking, he noticed the thick flurries of snow falling and surrounding the car. 

“It’s getting too hard to drive so we’re going to hang out at that diner,” Patrick pointed out the windshield at the small diner David could barely see. 

David watched in a panicked state as Patrick slowly guided the car towards the diner and into the parking lot. 

“Patrick…” David groaned as he turned off the car. 

“We’re just going to go get a table,” Twyla said from the backseat. Patrick nodded in acknowledgement. 

They sat in silence until Patrick sighed and rubbed his eyes with both his palms. 

“I think we can maybe make it before the party, but more likely, we’re going to be late,” Patrick said. His voice was soft and David finally looked at him, distracted from the snow. His shoulders were raised and the wrinkle that appeared in the middle of his forehead when he was stressed was deep and prominent. “I’m sorry that we’re not going to make it in time, but I’m more focused on us getting there safely and I need you to realize that.”

Patrick let go of the steering wheel and leaned back in his seat. Whatever guilt David felt about his dad was multiplied tenfold at Patrick’s exterior.

“Patrick,” David breathed. “I’m sorry.”

He placed a hand on Patrick’s knee and hoped that Patrick could feel the warmth through his thick denim. 

“I ruined Christmas, didn’t I?” David tilted his head back as he blinked back tears. 

“You didn’t,” Patrick said. He placed his hand on top of David’s. “I had a great time last night. And this morning. This evening will be great. We just gotta get through this part.”

David reached his free hand out and thumbed at Patrick’s cheekbone, pulling at the skin gently. 

“You’re exhausted,” David noted. Patrick laughed and tilted his head into David’s hand. 

“That was really stressful.”

“I know, honey,” David tapped Patrick’s cheek. “Let’s go eat and get warm. We’ll wait until the snow stops.”

*

“I’m just going to pump enough to get us to Schitt’s Creek,” Patrick said as he pulled the car into the pump. 

“Snack time!” David exclaimed as he hopped out of the car. Stevie and Twyla followed, grumbling about needing a bathroom. 

“Fuck,” Stevie hissed once they made it to the locked storefront. 

David narrowed his eyes at the store’s hours. 

“Wait, does this mean we can’t get gas?” Twyla asked. They turned back to the pump and let out a collective sigh of relief when they saw Patrick putting the nozzle into the gas tank and they heard the  _ click  _ of the gas pump turning on. 

“So there’s 24 hour pumps but the inside of the station is only open for four hours a day?” Stevie clarified. 

“I don’t think that’s allowed?” David contributed. 

“Well, I’m not going to question it because it’s really working in our favor,” Twyla said. “I’m going to go find some place to pee.”

“I’m going with you,” Stevie said. 

They walked around the back of the building and David waited, listening for any potential screams. When he didn’t hear any, he walked back to the car, leaning against the trunk and Patrick finished pumping. 

“It’s very cold,” David commented. He left his outermost layer in the car, expecting a quick trip into the building and back. 

“So cold,” Patrick said. He bounced on the balls of his feet, pulled at the receipt quickly and they immediately hopped back into the car. Before Patrick could put the keys in the ignition, David stuck his fingers in the vents. “Should’ve gotten you thicker gloves for Christmas.”

David hummed. 

“I thought we talked about how you’re not allowed to buy me clothes?” David teased. Patrick rolled his eyes at him and turned the keys. The engine stalled and cut out. Patrick tried again, but nothing happened. “Patrick.”

Patrick tried again. And again. And another time, just for good measure, but nothing happened.

“No, no, no. No!” Patrick pressed his head back into the headrest. David just waited. “I think my battery is dead.”

“What?!” David dropped his hands. “What do you mean it’s dead? It was JUST working!”

Patrick let his head fall onto the steering wheel in response. The back doors opened.

“Any reason why the heater isn’t on? I could cut glass back here,” Stevie grumbled and David was slightly afraid of what was about to happen. 

“Battery is dead,” Patrick’s voice was flat, annoyed beyond relief. “We’re about 20 minutes out. Do you think Bob will actually answer his phone and do his job?”

David closed his eyes at the thought. 

“Doubt that. I’ll call Ronnie,” Twyla suggested. The only thing worse than David relying on Bob for help, was Patrick relying on Ronnie for help. Patrick sighed and closed in on himself even more. 

Twenty-five minutes later, Ronnie pulled up in front of their car. David could feel the resentment rolling off of Patrick as Ronnie popped the hood of her car. 

“Heard you’re having issues,” She called out as Patrick opened his door. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Patrick grumbled as he closed the door. 

“I should probably go help,” Twyla trailed off as she moved to join them outside. 

Stevie shifted so she was in the middle seat, leaning into the space between the front seats. 

“Patrick looks so pissed,” Stevie commented. David nodded. He did. He was watching Ronnie clip the cords to his battery, resentment etched into every line of his face. “Him and Ronnie still aren’t cool?”

“Nope,” David said, shutting up when Patrick moved back to the front seat. 

He turned the car on in silence.

“Make sure you tell her thank you.” David commented as he thumbed at the curling hairs at Patrick’s hair. 

“I already did,” Patrick huffed.

“Sorry you had to call her,” David whispered, fingers still at the base of Patrick’s neck. “I feel mostly responsible for everything that’s happened.”

“Just, later, tell me that you’re happy to be home and it’ll be worth it,” Patrick murmured. David shifted and pressed a kiss to Patrick’s temple. 

“Of course,” David said. He shifted back into his seat, letting go of Patrick. 

Patrick got out of the car, did the car things he needed to do, but David wasn’t paying attention. Instead, he was trying to talk Stevie into going into the trunk and finding the unopened, twist-off bottle of wine. He almost did it, almost poured the water out of his reusable water bottle to fill it with the wine, but Patrick and Twyla turned back to the car. 

“Ready to go home?” Patrick asked when he opened the door. 

“Of course,” David smiled at him. “Patrick, take us home.”

Thirty minutes later, Patrick pulled into the parking lot of the motel.

“Um,” David said as Patrick turned off the car. “Thank you all for humoring me. It means a lot that we’re all here.”

Stevie reached forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Warmest regards,” She said in her most faux-serious voice. 

“Anytime, David,” Twyla said. 

He watched them get out of the car and turned back to Patrick with a soft smile. 

“I’m happy to be home,” David said. He reached out and wrapped a hand around Patrick’s forearm. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, David,” 


End file.
